HCI's Monthly Review of the Healthcare Industry
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Robert J. Stilley
President, CEO
HeartCare Imaging, Inc.
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Dear Colleagues,
I recently had a conversation with an attorney regarding telemedicine. He stated that he was convinced it would never work, and was doomed to failure due to the potential fraud and legal issues with diagnosing patients via telemedicine. As I'm sure our readers are aware, I'm an advocate for expanding telemedicine as a way to help diagnose patients in America where there is a shortage of specialty physicians.
I spoke with him about stroke patients being diagnosed at a critical access hospital and given TPA, specialists having rural ER physicians back, and psychiatrists available to help with the opioid epidemic, etc... but no matter how much could be gained by the patient and our healthcare system, the response remained the same... it will never fly as there are too many legal issues. I was frustrated that someone could focus only on potential legal issues vs. the significant advantages telemedicine could make, both in peoples lives and the US healthcare system. The advantage for patients in rural America who now can't be seen is easy to see. With regard to our healthcare system, by diagnosing and treating earlier we will not only improve people's lives but save our system the cost of treating significantly sicker patients down the road. I will continue to advocate for implementation of this technology. I hope that we don't let those that look at the dark side of medicine stop us from implementing what will be of benefit to all of us.
Sincerely,
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Department of Energy awards cooperative agreements to 3 US companies for Mo-99 production
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The Department of Energy (DOE)’s National Nuclear Security Administration has awarded cooperative agreements for the production of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) to three U.S. companies, including NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes.
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Once-weekly exenatide reduces MACE risk in patients with type 2 diabetes, CVD
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Among patients with type 2 diabetes and confirmed CVD at baseline, treatment with once-weekly exenatide reduced the risk for major adverse CV events, with no new or overall safety concerns related to cardiac events, according to a prespecified subgroup analysis of the EXSCEL study.
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Systolic, diastolic BP increase risk for CV events regardless of hypertension definition
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Systolic and diastolic hypertension independently affected the risk for adverse CV events, including MI, hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke, regardless of whether hypertension was defined as BP of at least 140/90 mm Hg or at least 130/80 mm Hg, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
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T1D and Heart Failure Risk: Not Equal Between Sexes
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Women and men with diabetes have different degrees of heart risks, researchers reported from a meta-analysis. Among more than 12 million people analyzed in published studies, women with type 1 diabetes had more than five times the risk for heart failure than in women free of diabetes (risk ratio 5.15, 95% CI 3.43-7.74), reported Toshiaki Ohkuma, PhD, of the University of New South Wales in Australia, and colleagues.
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Premature adrenarche unlikely to confer cardiometabolic risk in women
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Decreased insulin sensitivity observed in a cohort of women with premature adrenarche in childhood is likely associated with increased central adiposity and not prepubertal factors, according to a case-control analysis published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
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Scales Tip Toward 'Fish Oil' PUFA Intake for Heart Failure Prevention
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High plasma levels of the kinds of fatty acids found in fish oil were associated with a lower long-term risk for new heart failure (HF), whether with reduced or preserved ejection fraction (HFrEF or HFpEF), in a community-based cohort of more than 6000 people.
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Severe hypoglycemia indicates cardiovascular, cognitive danger
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Severe hypoglycemic events can present cardiovascular and cognitive risks, and hypoglycemia should signal a call to action for physicians treating the patients with diabetes, according to a speaker at the Heart in Diabetes CME Conference.
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High blood pressure, high cholesterol early in life tied to heart problems later
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People with high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol before age 40 are more likely to have a heart attack later in life than other adults, a new analysis suggests.
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Ethnicity, age, sex influence CV risk in type 2 diabetes
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The growing global burden of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease disproportionately affects people living in countries experiencing large social transitions, with women and those diagnosed before age 40 years more likely to experience worse disease outcomes, according to a speaker at the Heart in Diabetes conference.
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Scar From Old MI Common When CAD Revealed at Autopsy After Sudden Death
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Scar from myocardial infarction (MI) that went unrecognized may have been involved in two fifths of cases of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people with previously unknown coronary artery disease (CAD) in an autopsy cohort in Finland.
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Alzheimer Disease, Dementia Linked to Increased Seizure Risk
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Patients with dementia or Alzheimer disease (AD) have a significantly increased risk for seizures compared with patients without AD or dementia, according to results from two studies presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2019, held July 14-16 in Los Angeles, California.
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Alzheimer's Insulin Study Puzzles Researchers
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Intranasal insulin to treat Alzheimer's disease showed puzzling results in the federally funded, phase II/III SNIFF study presented here. While the drug had no effect on cognition in the study's primary intention-to-treat analyses, a mid-trial change in the device that delivered insulin may have affected results.
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Colon cancer cases rising among adults under 50
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The percentage of people under age 50 rose to 12.2 percent in 2015, up from 10 percent in 2004, according to a study published Monday in Cancer.
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Experimental Alzheimer’s drug targets gum disease bacteria
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Encouraging results have been announced from a small trial of a new kind of treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, which targets gum disease bacteria. Trial participants showed improvements in certain molecules in their blood and spinal fluid, says Cortexyme, the US firm developing the therapy.
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Frequent Sleeping Pill Use Linked to Increased Dementia Risk
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Frequent use of sleep medications may increase the risk of future cognitive impairment, new research suggests.
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Depression at Time of Diagnosis May Worsen Survival in Blood Cancers
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Symptoms of depression are common among patients diagnosed with hematological malignancy, and depressive symptoms are associated with shorter survival, according to a study published online July 2 in Psycho-Oncology.
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Eating a plant-based diet might help prevent type 2 diabetes, study suggests
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That link between plant-based eating habits and type 2 diabetes is even more beneficial when only healthy plant-based foods -- such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts -- are included in your daily diet, as opposed to refined grains, starches and sugars, according to the study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday.
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Probability of dementia diagnosis higher with diabetes, underweight
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Japanese older adults with diabetes or a BMI of less than 18.5 kg/m2 are more likely to develop dementia than those without either condition, according to findings published in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.
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Scientists close in on blood test for Alzheimer’s
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Scientists are closing in on a long-sought goal — a blood test to screen people for possible signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
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MORE PHYSICIANS PURSUING JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN TELEMEDICINE
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As the telemedicine market expands, an increasing number of physicians are seeking telemedicine employment.
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Tenet plans to spin off revenue-cycle subsidiary Conifer
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Tenet Healthcare Corp. announced Wednesday it plans to spin off its revenue-cycle subsidiary, Conifer Health Solutions, into a separate, publicly-traded company.
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The average price for treating primary care conditions in ED? $2,032, UnitedHealth says
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Each time a patient enters the emergency department with a condition that can be treated in a primary care setting, it comes at an average cost of $2,032 to the healthcare system, according to an analysis published by UnitedHealth Group.
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'High-Intensity' Telemedicine Curbs ED Use in Dementia Patients
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Providing comprehensive remote care via telemedicine to older adults with dementia significantly cuts emergency department (ED) visits, new research suggests.
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Black, older patients use patient portals less, study finds
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The availability of health technology, such as patient portals, may not sufficiently reduce barriers to its use among black and older patients, according to a study published in Telemedicine and e-Health.
Researchers from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus examined 842 patients admitted to the six hospitals affiliated with a large, Midwestern academic medical center from July 2017 to July 2018. These patients were given access to a tablet with a patient portal. The researchers also gathered demographic information of the participants using their EHRs and inpatient surveys.
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Politics that Affect Medicine
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Azar touts new Medicare Advantage opportunities in pay models
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HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Tuesday hinted that Medicare Advantage plans could see pay boosts as part of the Trump administration's strategy to tackle maternal mortality rates, social determinants of health and rural healthcare access.
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Senators announce bipartisan proposal to lower drug prices
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The top Republican and Democrat on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee announced a proposal to lower prescription drug prices on Tuesday that could save $100 billion in costs to government healthcare programs, and said the committee would vote on the legislation on Thursday.
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Federal judge upholds Trump's expansion of non-ObamaCare plans
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A federal judge on Friday upheld the Trump administration's expansion of health insurance plans that don't meet ObamaCare's coverage requirements.
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For over 25 years, HRSI has provided Authorized User (AU) classroom and laboratory training to physicians. HRSI's training is recognized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and fulfills the didactic training required by law.
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Save the date for RSNA 2019
Join us for our 105th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, December 1–6, 2019, at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.
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Annual Scientific Session of the
American Society of Nuclear Cardiology
September 12-15, 2019 | Chicago, Ill.
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HeartCare Imaging, Inc. | Phone: 561-746-6125 | Fax: 561-741-2036 | info@heartcareimaging.com
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